"Sure." The girl's hair moved like a living creature and pierced Shun's chest, but at the very last moment, he dodged.
"Not now!" Shun exclaimed.
"My," she retracted her hair and gave a smile, "be precise next time."
"You…" He scoffed. "You don't have any emotions at all, huh?"
"What do you mean?"
"You're just going to kill me like that? No hesitation?"
"I mean, why would I?" She paused for a moment and realized something. "Oh~ I get what's going on. You're disappointed in me.
"Human, you must've mistaken me for something. I am a weapon, assembled by this very Tower to make sure she didn't leave this Tower." Her gaze went to Akira, who had just left the stall. Shun's eyes followed.
"I have no other purpose, no attachment, and certainly no petty emotions. So when you ask me to kill you, it's as light as crushing a bug." When she said those words, a butterfly passed by and she crushed it with her right palm.
"I see." His voice was a bit deeper than usual. "Then I certainly have to make sure I don't die and kill you."
"Now that's the spirit!" Micchan slapped his back a few times and continued, "Why did you want me to kill you, by the way?"
"Forget that request."
"No fun." Micchan pouted.
Silence descended for a few more seconds. Shun broke the tranquility after he calmed himself. "Why, during sleep, did we not enter the Dream Realm?"
"You have to be within the fog. It is the gate."
He paused for a moment, hesitating slightly before asking, "Do you know a way to escape the dream prison?"
"Just stay there, follow the rules for seven days, and they'll let you out."
"Any tips to not meet a Nightmare?"
"Don't feel fear or despair. We can track where you are."
"Do you know how to increase the range between us?"
"You can't technically get further from us, but you can certainly slow us. Never stay in one place longer than seven hours."
Shun scrutinized her a bit longer and asked, "Are you telling the truth?"
"It's up to you to decide." She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't have a reason to tell you lies. My job is one, and that's not telling lies or not answering your questions."
"Are you not going to ask anything in return?" Shun asked. He had gained a lot of valuable information, after all.
"Hmm…" She tapped her foot and snapped her fingers. "No."
"Seriously, there must be something you want in return." Shun pressed.
"Alright, alright. I want those ribs."
"That is all?"
"Yeah."
His eyes flickered with disbelief.
"That won't do." He shook his head and looked at the flowers for a few seconds.
He gained an idea and sewed the flowers into a crown.
Micchan watched with great interest.
He finished turning the flowers into a wreath and put it on her head.
"What's this?"
"A payment for your answers."
"I thought the ribs were enough?"
"They aren't."
He was aware that the monster girl wouldn't hesitate to kill him if the time came, and no one would complain if he took advantage of her, but it didn't sit right with him.
'I'm too soft sometimes. What am I? The next Dingh?' Shun lampooned inwardly.
Dingh was a political figure from this town who drove away foreign forces from invading the region by employing nonviolent resistance, stating that if the enemy didn't leave, he would starve himself to death. Shun knew him from the books.
Anyway, after putting the crown on her, Shun returned to the camp, leaving Micchan alone, staring at the ring of flowers with indecipherable eyes—though they stirred for a moment.
Gratitude? Touched? Nobody knows but her.
When Shun reached the camp, he spotted Akira slowly spinning the meat, revealing the raw spot to be licked by the fire.
"How's your bath?"
"It's okay." She nodded.
Shun then grabbed a book that was scattered on the side and leaned himself against the tree.
"What did you two talk about?" Akira asked.
"Nothing. I asked her if she wants to be my little sister."
"Achoo!" Akira turned her gaze at Shun and lightly kicked him. "Stop doing that."
"Okay, okay." He giggled and told Akira everything.
"What if she lied?"
"You can ask her directly." Shun continued reading.
"Fair."
After that, Akira continued to tend the meat while Shun was reading. They both chatted once in a while before the silence came. It wasn't even an awkward one, but normal, as though both grasped each other.
There was no need to force the conversation or be anything but themselves.
Micchan returned to the camp and slept Shun's bed.
"It's done," Akira finally spoke. Shun closed the book and sat opposite Akira. Micchan opened her eyes and jumped off the bed.
She then sat next to Akira. The latter seemed uncomfortable as she moved away. Shun didn't say anything as his focus was mostly on the food.
He grabbed the stick and devoured the meat in one breath. It tasted bland and flat, but at least he wouldn't be starving to death.
"Delicious! Delicious!" Micchan exclaimed as she devoured the meat continuously.
Seeing that, Shun quickly grabbed three pieces of meat before Micchan got them and threw them at the monkey.
The creature opened its mouth and three black dots materialized, and from them, mouths appeared just before the flying meats and opened wide.
It chewed as it returned to the black dots, vanishing.
Shun's eyes shrank as he was stunned. He then turned his head to Akira—she had the same expression.
Maybe she felt his gaze, for she eyed Shun and nodded once, as if to convey that it was better to act as if they hadn't seen anything.
Shun responded with the same motion.
While they were eating, they had a conversation between mouthfuls.
"Micchan, what you said to Shun is all true?" Akira asked.
Micchan pondered for a bit. "Yeah, they're true."
Akira sneezed.
The atmosphere dropped almost immediately.
"No reason to lie, eh?" Shun said slowly, with a bit of rage.
Micchan halted her steps as she noticed the air had shifted. Then, all of a sudden, she exclaimed, "Oh, you mean the questions he asked earlier? Can't you be more clear with your questions? Good grief.
"Yes, I'm being honest."
Akira waited for any reaction but nothing came, so she continued, "What did you lie about?"
"It's nothing important."
Akira prepared for that inborn reflex, yet her body stayed quiet.
"Look, I don't care if you don't believe me, but isn't it tiring that you always doubt me? Might as well use that energy to complete your objectives." Her words were casual but stung them a bit.
"You're right." Shun acknowledged and turned his head to Akira. "What's your progress, Akira?"
"Twenty percent."
"Twenty percent?! Isn't that a bit fast for progress? How much does Alden sell you the materials?"
"Wait, you know Alden?" she asked back, surprised.
"You didn't know? Right…" Shun realized they hadn't exchanged information. They were simply too exhausted from fighting that Shepherd.
"Every person has their own Alden. He's like the Dream Realm's guidance character. Just to make sure we're in the same story, does he have a sentient cube as his worker?"
She contemplated for a minute and nodded. "Yes, its name is ■■."
"Say what now?"
What Shun heard was like chalk being dragged the opposite way—it made a high-pitched noise.
"It has its own pronunciation."
"I see." Shun didn't delve further. "Alden must've explained to you about the dream coins, yes?"
She moved her head up and down.
"Okay, back to my question then, how much did he offer to build you the temple?"
"Fifty-five dream coins. What about you?"
"More or less the same. What job did you take to gather money?" he asked curiously.
"I worked with Alden. I told him I can know liars by sniffing them."
Smart way to use her ability, Shun commended.
"Do you have any tips about that guy? Does he have things he likes and dislikes? What's his personality like?"
She pinched her chin and replied, "He's like, if money could be married, he'd be the first to propose."
A guy that loves money… Shun noted.
"What else?"
"Don't hurt those he cares for."
But he didn't let that blind him, Shun recorded inwardly.
"Got it." Shun nodded and asked again, "Where did you build your temple?"
"On the east side of the city."
"Inside the city?"
"Un."